Blondes and Berries
by Kitteekill
Summary: The DA2 gang is off to Hogwarts, randomly enough! Love and drama ensue while Anders and Isabela compete for vixen of the school, and the original HP characters get a load of trolling Fenris! Alex Hawke gets into all sorts of mischief in her sixth year!
1. Chapter 1

**A Cowrite with the Love of my Life, Tori**

Chapter One: Let's Be Friends

_Alex Hawke stared in fascination at the Hogwarts Express, her younger siblings calling goodbyes to her as she boarded. Bethany, her younger sister, was crying that she wanted to go, much like a young ginger girl across the platform. Her younger brother, Carver, was doing much the same even though he had no signs of any magical ability. Hawke struggled with her large trunk, and was surprised when a boy with sandy hair and a rather fluffy tabby kitten helped her lift her baggage onto the train. She smiled as way of thanks, and he gave a sweet grin in return. _

_ "Hallo, my name's Anders! Let's be friends, 'kay?" He finished putting up her bag and dragged her into a compartment with him, and she just went along with it. _

_ "A-Alright," Alex smiled easily, though she was taken a bit off guard by his forward attitude. She sat across from him and let his cat sniff her hand, strawberry hair swinging over her face. _

_ "Oh, right, how could I forget? That's Ser Pounce-A-Lot, say nice to meet you Ser Pounce-A-Lot," he cooed at the cat, who gave him a look that told Anders that he was above saying nice to meet you to anyone. Hawke gave it one more nervous glance before turning back to Anders, who had taken out a kitty toy and was dangling it for the snobby tabby. The girl giggled and Anders blushed, and she was about to strike up a conversation with her new friend right as the compartment door slid open. There in the doorway stood a tanned girl with long, inky hair dragging an adorable elven girl with huge eyes and a slim build. _

_ "Got room for a couple more?" asked the bronzed girl, and the other one quivered. _

_ "Oh, I don't know if we should ask them for room, is that rude? I think that might rude, oh I'm sorry…" The elven girl trailed off, and Hawke waved them in casually, causing Anders' cat to hiss and leap onto the upper shelf. _

_ "We don't mind, do we Anders?" He shook his head no, and they stepped in. Hawke motioned for the nervous girl to sit by her, and she did so, thanking her about fifty times. The tanned girl put her legs over Anders' lap, causing him to blush as she spoke up. _

_ "I'm Isabela, by the way, and that's Merrill over there having the heart attack," she said, twirling one of the gold rings on her finger. Merrill waved feebly while Isabela made herself at home, using Anders as a cushion. "So, who's who? I know the kitty boy over here is called Anders, but what do they call you?" She directed her gaze at Alex, who was still trying to reassure Merrill. _

_ "My name is Alex, Alex Hawke." Isabela grinned, with a mutter of "excellent." She moved onto her next question, dark eyes alight with glee. _

_ "Who here's a muggle-born, anyways? I'm not, and Merrill isn't, so I want to know," she demanded, and Hawke laughed at her imperious nature. _

_ "Half and half over here, but I don't know about Anders." Anders shifted uncomfortably in his seat before muttering that he was fully muggle-born, and Hawke patted his shoulder over Isabela's long legs. "That's nothing to be ashamed of! You'll be great!" Anders stopped shifting and looked more at ease at her encouragement. Alex sighed and began to relax, falling into an easy conversation with Isabela and the others, the cat looking on as an affronted bystander. _

~OoOoO~

_ Fenris sat alone in the train compartment in the back of the train, fingers in his silver hair, green eyes open and watching the scenery. He was an elf; he didn't even know why he was being put in this school full of wizards. Magic was fully unacceptable, and he hated the fact that he would be going to a school filled with that sort. His frown deepened from his usual perpetual scowl as he heard laughter in the hallway by his compartment as the train pulled to a stop. Why would people be walking to the back of the train as it stopped?_

_ "See, I told you there was a loner back here!" cried Isabela in mirth, and Merrill giggled randomly as Anders stroked Ser Pounce-A-Lot and Hawke leaned into the compartment. _

_ "Hey, loner kid, the compartments weren't _that_ full," Alex was a few inches away from his face now, and he shrunk back into the seat, green eyes full of loathing. Anders frowned; that was rather rude to Alex. He wouldn't have leaned away, after all…_

_ "I want to go back. I hate wizards, they ruin all that they touch," he spat, but she didn't lean away. To the contrary, she leaned in further, strawberry hair tickling his face as her matching scent rubbed off on him. _

_ "Nice to meet you too, broody elf boy. I'm Alex Hawke, what's your name?" Fenris flushed and found that he could lean back no further, and caught the immediate dislike in the sandy haired boy's eyes. _

_ "Fenris. Now get off me," he snapped, and she laughed as she pulled him out of the compartment and Isabela caught on, looping an arm around him to form a sort of cage. They frog-marched him out of the train while Anders stared on in jealousy and Merrill cocked her head to the side, not altogether sure what was going on. _

~OoOoO~

_ They all stood in the chamber outside the Great Hall, being lectured on the Sorting Hat. Fenris looked vaguely disgusted, Merrill looked excited beyond belief, Isabela smug, Anders anxious, and Hawke was cool as a cucumber. Fenris grimaced and was edging away from them when he accidentally bumped into a boy with white-blonde hair and silver eyes, who was nursing a wounded ego from being publicly humiliated by that Potter kid. _

_ "Sorry," Fenris muttered, trying to escape the crowd. _

_ "Watch where you're going, you daft knife-ear," Draco snapped, and watched in awe as the taciturn elf walked on past him, completely unaffected. The blonde's head actually turned to watch him go by; he had never been simply _ignored _by someone like that before! Fenris had made his way to one of the gothic windows of the castle and grew noticeably depressed as he looked out of it. A first year with mahogany hair and piercing eyes happened to notice the distraught almost-escapee. He clutched his cross; this boy was obviously in need of spiritual assistance. _

_ "The Maker loves all of us, no need for such sorrow," the precocious, cross-bearing boy addressed his fellow first-year. Fenris gave him an evil look; now was _not _the time he wanted to hear the preaching of some pint-sized choir boy. _

_ "I don't want love from the Maker, I want that train to come back so I can leave," Fenris' olive eyes were cold and a bit saddened, and also had a nice bit of anger at the world in them. The other boy smiled serenely and began spouting more nonsensical crap about the Maker. _

_ "I'm Sebastian," he held out his hand, and Fenris stared as though it were some unclassified beast rather than a human appendage. _

_ "I don't recall asking your name." Fenris was beginning to trudge away when an arm snaked around his neck, and another teasingly pulled on his robes. _

_ "Fe~nris! You ran away, Fe~nris!" Alex pulled insistently on his robes, causing him to teeter a little. He glared down at her, and she gave him a pouty five year old face. "Alex wants Fenris to not run away! Did you miss the train, Fe~nris?" She giggled as Fenris' scowl deepened, and the "choir boy" Sebastian chuckled a bit. They were called in at that moment and all went in, their small group already establishing itself. _

_ The names were called for sorting, one after another. A girl named Hermione got put into Gryffindor with the famous Harry Potter and his new friend Ron Weasley. The boy who Fenris had bumped into earlier got called up (apparently his name was Draco) and the hat had hardly touched his white blonde hair when the enchanted accessory had called out "Slytherin!" _

_ "Alexandria Hawke?" McGonagall called, sharp voice beckoning her up to the front of the hall for her Sorting. The hat debated a moment before shouting out "Gryffindor!" Alex grinned and hopped up, skipping all the way to the table where a family of gingers sat and two twins clapped her on the back with identical grins. She smiled encouragingly at Anders, who was now hoping to god that he was put in Gryffindor. _

_ "Fenris Wolfe?" He reluctantly stalked up to the hat and allowed it to be placed on his silver hair, and listened as the hat ranted on about his hatred of wizards. _

_ "Slytherin!" It shouted, and Fenris went off to join the Malfoy kid, who was sitting next to the house ghost. _

_ "Isabela Romany?" Her name was shortly followed by another call to go sit at the Slytherin table, and she calmly went to sit by Fenris, who grimaced at the girl's approach. _

_ "Sebastian Vael?" _

_ "Ravenclaw!"_

_ "Merrill Dale?"_

_ "Hufflepuff!"_

_ Finally, Anders was left in the small group of people yet to be sorted, and he looked over at Alex, who was laughing with the twins Fred and George. He swallowed nervously as he saw the thin woman look back down at her list, then back at him. Her voice rang in his ears as his name was called, and he focused all his thoughts on being in Gryffindor. _

_ "Anders Fells?" He walked up and pulled the worn hat onto his head, and as soon as he did, he heard its deep voice addressing him. _

_ "Ah, Justice has caused you quite a few problems, hasn't he? Especially for an imaginary friend from your childhood, eh?"_

_ "You could say that. Imaginary friends are dreadful bothers, especially Justice," Anders replied aloud, not at all bothered by the fact that the hat could see into his mind. _

_ "And your cat, Ser Pounce-A-Lot," it paused for a chuckle, "also takes up quite a bit of room in your mind."_

_ "Of course! My kitty cat has my heart!" Anders was indignant now, and he was oblivious to the fact that the Great Hall was now silent, watching his conversation with the Sorting Hat. _

_ "It's not the only thing that has your heart," the hat replied smugly. _

_ "Well… What did you see? What did you see inside H- her mind?"_

_ "Well, she feels __**strongly**__ for you, that's for sure."_

_ "What? What do you mean, what did you—"_

_ "On a more relevant note, Gryffindor!" the Hat finally cried, and Anders glared at it a moment. _

_ "I don't like you," he hissed to it, thwacking it down on the stool, and he could swear the hat was grinning. He was overjoyed when he saw the Hawke had saved him a seat, however, and just about pranced up to the table. And just like that, their meal began. Fenris ate in silence while Draco bragged about his money and Isabela bothered the sullen elf. Merrill was making friends, laughing at jokes she didn't understand and being told about how they "found a toad earlier! We Hufflepuffs are wonderful finders!*" Sebastian was preaching about the Maker after a solemn prayer and was delighted to find that Terry Boot was also a devout believer. Anders and Hawke chatted while he came out of his shell, little by little, and began even talking to the family of redheads and Harry Potter. Like it or not(*ahem* Fenris), they were now official Hogwarts students, through and through. _

~OoOoO~

_ In the Gryffindor Commons sat Anders, Hawke, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, all laughing together over the look on Draco's face when Harry had snubbed him. Hawke imitated it while Anders leaned casually on Harry, their shoulders touching. Ron noticed their immediate closeness with a certain degree of jealousy but stomached it with no small amount of effort. _

_ "He looked like someone had just told him that the sky was green!" cried Hawke, clutching her stomach and giggling even harder. Hermione's mouth twitched up a little at this but retired early, claiming that she "couldn't be hanging about that barbaric boy Ron any longer than necessary, for sake of her mental health." Ron had looked affronted while the others chuckled some more, simply happy to be there together. Then the ginger noticed something about their new friend Anders; the way his eyes followed Seamus' lips as he approached to join the conversation with a longing look in his warm eyes. _

_ "Bloody Hell," he murmured to himself, then looked at Hawke, whom he had earlier watched with that same expression. He repeated himself once more, and tried to not think too much on it before bed. After all, they were sharing a dorm. _

~OoOoO~

_ The green and silver hangings matched the eyes and hair of the elven boy who was currently in a silent non-stare-down with Draco Malfoy, while Isabela perched on the back of a cough with a bottle of stolen butterbeer and watched in amusement. Slowly, Fenris reached over and took the butterbeer from Isabela and finished it off. She grinned mischievously at him and pulled out some filched Firewhiskey and she handed him the bottle. _

_ "You'll need this, Scrooge. Drink up," she popped it open with her teeth, and he gained a slight, though forever unvoiced, appreciation for the gypsy. _

_*****_**Great Finders actually belongs to A Very Potter Musical by Starkid Productions, but it couldn't be helped. It needed to be there. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright, so this spazzattack is what Tori, my love, calls "Tori's Two Cents" on this story xD You will find it at the beginning of every chapter, so I have chapters one and two here :)**

**C****hapter One- "Okay so, what happens when two people who love Dragon Age and Harry Potter start talking at midnight? This."**

**Chapter Two: "For all of you who don't know, in DA2 Anders mentions (if you're a boy) that he was in a romantic relationship with Karl. On a completely unrelated topic, I don't like Karl. Also, Anders in this is DA:A Anders mixed with DA2 Anders. All of the angst with more of the sarcastic charming wit!"**

* * *

Chapter Two: The T-Shirt Thief

Alex Hawke stumbled out of bed early on Monday morning, glad that it was finally summer. She ran a hand through her reddish bedhead, dark eyes half shut with sleep against the bright morning sun. The sixteen year old adjusted her tank top and prepared herself for the day, vaguely recalling the silver haired elf boy that was sleeping in the bedroom next to hers. Well, he seemed like an early riser. _Better go feed the Fenris_, she thought to herself, chuckling a bit at the memory of how she had tricked him into coming home with her by saying she needed him to take a look at something for her.

He was sitting at the kitchen counter, his pale hair sticking up adorably. Fenris looked at her as he heard her enter and blushed at the sight of her in her pajama shirt and shorts set, and she poured him some Fruit Loops while his eyes trailed her. She grinned, bowl in hand and she sat on the counter with a carton of milk.

"Dry or wet?" She poked him teasingly, and he made a distinctly un-amused face as he took the bowl of dry cereal. She pouted and was in the process of muttering something to the effect that he was no fun at all when another person sauntered into the room, his sandy hair looking like he had just been, well, doing his favorite recreational team activity. His brown eyes were bright and lively as he calmly poured himself a cup of coffee and the two people at the counter gawked in surprise.

"Anders?" Hawke's jaw dropped, and Fenris choked a little on his colorful cereal. "When did you get here?" She cried in dismay, and her rage increased when she saw the pink t-shirt that had been in her closet last night now stretched across his broad chest. The black letters read: **I'll show you mine if you show me yours**, and then he spun to the back so that Fenris could read the words **I meant my wand, you perv! **At this point, Fenris began full on choking, and Hawke rushed to get him a glass of water as his coughs died down. "Anders, why are you wearing my t-shirt?" she asked in exasperation.

"In order of questions asked, yes, it is I. Secondly, I got here last night. Your parents told me my room was already set up, and I wanted something nice to sleep in, so I stole one of your t-shirts. I like this one," Anders twirled a little more as Hawke facepalmed. After he was done spinning, he walked over to the coffee machine and got himself a mug, already knowing exactly where it was, as he well should due to the amount of summers he had spent at the Hawke household.

"Fantastic," muttered Fenris dryly, right as Carver stepped in with Bethany, their reactions _very_ different.

"What the hell?" exclaimed the dark haired sibling of Hogwarts' favorite strawberry, while Bethany blushed a deep red at the sight of her long time crush. Anders gave a calm wave to Carver and blew a kiss at Bethany, who turned even brighter crimson.

"What indeed? You should probably read the back of the t-shirt before commenting," Anders remarked, looping an arm around an increasingly frazzled Hawke. She sighed and just let him be, knowing that trying to get rid of him would be like giving Ser Pounce-a-Lot a nice, long bath.

"Don't you have somewhere else to go? Why don't you go see Karl?" Hawke complained, mentioning Anders' long time boyfriend.

"Karl couldn't handle me, so I wanted some of my lovely Hawke! I think he was envious of Ser Pounce-a-Lot," Anders sniffed affectedly, while Carver sniggered at the blonde's misfortune and Fenris seemed to be trying to cut Anders' arm off with his eyes.

"That Hawke over there seems to want your attention, we all know you're here for him anyway," Alex gestured to her brother, who abruptly stopped his laughter.

"Yes, Strawberry, dear. I have such a penchant for squibs who are arses to their sisters' _important _friends just because he's jealous!"

"I heard you, you blond prat of a wizard!" Carver shouted, fists clenched.

"Nobody cares what you think, SQUIB!" shot back Anders, and Ser Pounce-a-Lot calmly pranced between them, having wriggled out of Anders' knapsack. He paused in the middle and meowed his displeasure while the boys stood at a standstill, and Alex looked back and forth, mildly distressed. This was going to another _long _summer.

~OoOoO~

Alex was finally getting a chance to relax after pulling Carver, Anders, and Fenris off each other's throats when the door swung open. Anders was there in his gray sweatpants that the young wizard swore he had purchased the first summer they spent together, but they *ahem* _magically _seemed to be growing along with him. She could tell right away that something was wrong with her friend, the way his russet eyes were serious and his mouth was pulled tight. Without asking (Anders would rather sleep with Fenris than ask permission to cuddle with Alex, for fear she might say no), Anders climbed into bed with her and casually picked up her book form the bedside table, before making it obvious he wanted to borrow it.

"You know, Anders, most people _ask _when they would like to borrow something," muttered the girl crankily as he made himself comfortable.

"But that would imply that I was just like other people to you," he whined in return, knowing that it would rile her up.

"Well, even special people sleep on the floor. C'mon, out, unless you have something important to say." Anders rolled over to look at her and gave her the "you kicked my kitten" look, and she caved, eyes rolling skyward. "Yes, Anders?"

"Well, you see… Karl and I, you know, we aren't really… _together_, anymore. But, the truth is, I— He broke up with me, alright! And I don't know why, and I can't figure out what I did, and he was a real bastard about it, and then I found out he'd been cheating on me with some prat named Fabio from New York City that was modeling in a show here! You think I could be a model, don't you Hawke? You think that I could be pretty like Fabio, don't you?" He cried in dismay, and Hawke patted his head awkwardly.

"Now, there, there, Anders. Your name is so much better than _Fabio. _I would never be able to take you seriously (ish) if your name was that ridiculous. You are… pretty, for a boy I guess. I'm sure Fabio is jealous of how attractive you are, and Karl wanted someone more in his league, since you were too good for him," she comforted, knowing exactly what the blond would want to hear. He grinned and snuggled her more closely, and she sighed in a sort of resigned consent.

Eventually, the blond got warm while snuggling with his strawberry and wriggled off his shirt, and she looked away. Taking advantage of the situation, Anders pulled her into a bear hug, and she gave a little squeal. Looking at him resentfully, Alex tried to wriggle out from her friend's tight grip, but she couldn't seem to even move. She could feel his toned muscles up against her and she blushed heavily, turning as red as her hair.

"Anders, get off me."

"Technically," Anders pointed out with a sly smile, "you are the one on top of me, dear strawberry."

"You're so abs- obnoxious," Alex sputtered, unable to keep her focus off his flat stomach. He noticed and tightened his grip, and her already short breath grew shorter.

"Abs? Is that what you said? Do you like them, Alex?" He whispered in her ear, and she shivered. "Cold, are we?"

"I could care less about your abs," she lied. "And, no, I am abs- absolutely alright. Dammit Anders!" She tried to wriggle out again as she made another accidental pun, and Anders rumbled with laughter against her. However, as she clawed at his back, she felt ruined skin. Like… Scars? "Anders, what are—"

Before she could ask, he had laid her on her back and was over her, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Alex was hardly breathing as he sat back and laughed, and she felt the blood rush to her face as she realized he was only messing around. Anders, on the other hand, was flushed with laughter.

"Haha! I knew you were attracted to me! I knew it!" Ander cried triumphantly, and Alex folded her arms and stuck out her tongue.

"I am most certainly _not _attracted to you! And what are those scars on your back?" She demanded, moving around him before he could react. She ran her fingers over the long, lateral scar tissue, and he jerked away from her touch.

"Some girls like it rough," he quipped half-heartedly, but Alex wasn't buying it.

"How is it that you spell the word 'Bullshit' again?"

"Um, I think it's spelled A-L-E-X."

"Really?" Alex shot back, cheeks still flaming fluorescent pink. "I was pretty sure that it was spelled A-N-D-E-R-S."

"Never seen that spelling before," Anders said calmly, braiding a bit of Alex's hair. She snatched the strand back, eyes narrow.

"Really? Because I've been seeing it all the time, as of late."

"Funny, that," Anders blew it off, but Alex wasn't giving up that easily.

"How did you get those scars, Anders?" She asked, trying hard to keep her voice steady.

"I don't know. Why won't you admit that you're attracted to me?"

"I asked you first!" She exclaimed childishly, shaking him by the shoulders. He gently removed her hands and swung her up bridal-style, eyes alight with mischief, but also masking something else. Fear?

"And my question is more important," he said flatly, then rocked her in his arms until she fell asleep there, and he breathed deeply before falling into a fitful slumber next to her.

~OoOoO~

Carver stumbled into his sister's room the next morning to tell her that her gypsy friend and company were here, and was dismayed to see the sandy haired wizard wrapped around Alex in the bed. She had her head on his chest, arms around his neck. Carver turned red with rage from chin to hairline, and his fists shook as he stepped into the room.

"The hell, Anders?" The brunette screamed at the sleeping boy, who irritably leaned over Alex and turned on the light. "What do you think you're doing?"

"What, turning on the light or sleeping with your sister?" Anders said ambiguously, and Carver took another livid step towards him, fists clenched. "Oh, no, no, silly boy. Wouldn't want to wake your dear sister, now would we?"

Fenris heard Carver's somewhat high pitched cry from the other room and rubbed his bright eyes crossly. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stretched, already knowing that it would probably be a common sort of wakeup call as long as that stupid cat-lover was there. The odd thing was, it seemed to be coming from… Alex's room? Fenris stalked out the door and saw that Alex's white door was indeed open, and in it stood an enraged Carver. The elf was about to ask what was going on when he saw. Anders was calmly lying in Hawke's bed as though he belonged there, and Fenris felt himself get angry too. Just what was this?

It was at that moment that, of course, Isabela came in and frowned, arms crossed. Fenris looked at her quizzically, normally she would be cheering this sort of thing on. The other visitors followed in behind her, Merrill looking thoroughly confused while Sebastian stared in abstract horror at the two. Tapping her foot, she looked crabbily at Anders and sighed, putting a hand to her forehead.

"Dammit, Blondie! I bet against Dean Thomas that she wouldn't put out until Christmas!" cried the gypsy, gold earrings swinging as she shook her head. Anders grinned triumphantly, and by accident he knocked Alex lightly in the shoulder. She woke up, stretched, saw the scene before her, and fell out of bed. _Oh, great, _she thought to herself, just as Anders began chuckling.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here it is! Tori's Two Cents!**

** "The first time I ever visited Kitteekill's house I proclaimed loudly "SO MANY DOORS!" because i couldn't find her bathroom. That and my severe imagination terrets is what brought along this. (oh and my dearest fantastic writing ability)" **

Chapter Three: From Grocery Stores to Gypsies

"Morning, Strawberry," Anders said cheerfully as she regarded him resentfully. He offered her a hand up, but she ignored it and stood up on her own, arms folded.

"Hmph."

"What did I do?" Anders cried, at which point Alex shot him such a venomous look that he cringed a little. "Okay, I know what I did, but still… I didn't plan on Carver coming in this morning," he said sheepishly, and Carver looked like he was about to speak up and say something nasty to Anders when Hawke pushed him out, along with Bethany.

"Out, you two," she pulled the door closed on her siblings, the inside of it still covered in marker scribbles that started when she was eleven, and one look at Anders told her he was remembering the same thing.

_Anders Fells looked up at Alex Hawke's house, glad that she had not told him he couldn't stay with her over the summer. It was the summer after their first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Anders had jumped at the chance to spend the summer with Hawke. So, there he stood, hand in his pockets and brown eyes round with excitement. _

_ "Goodness, Anders, it's a house, not a kitten," Alex said dryly, then dragged him inside. _

_ A woman stood in the doorway, arms around two dark haired twins, one a boy and the other a girl. Behind her stood a man whom Hawke obviously resembled more, with light red hair and dark eyes. He smiled politely at Anders and was shocked but pleased when the young blond jumped into his arms for a hug. The boy twin scowled while the other blushed heavily, her ebony hair swinging into her face. _

_ "Alex! Group hug!" cried the man whom Anders assumed to be her father, and he pulled her in before she could run away. "I like this friend of yours, dear. He's got spunk! Tell me, what's his name?" He grinned at his daughter, who folded her arms and scowled. _

_ "His name is Anders. Don't let the 'you kicked my kitten' face fool you," she said grumpily, and Anders turned to her with the aforementioned face. _

_ "Are you saying I'm a trickster, Strawberry? Does this mean I can't stay and I have to go home?" Anders looked his most helpless, and Hawke had to grit her teeth and repeat her mantra of "_I did not kick his kitten, I did not kick his kitten." _Of course, that only worked half of the time. _

_ "Nonsense, Anders. Stay as long as you like! Your room can be to the right of Alex's," the father gestured up the open staircase and Anders began to look around in wonder._

_ "So many doors! Oh, Hawke, can I go look at all of them?" She looked at him quizzically, and he shrugged lightly. "Farm boys don't get to see this many doors every day, you know." Hawke's father waved him passage and he stopped to thank him. _

_ "My name is Malcolm Hawke, you can call me any part of that name you see fit." Anders grinned and agreed before bolting up the stairs. Hawke sighed; she could hear him running wild through the house. Carver and Bethany looked at their older sister in confusion. Their guest was like a whirlwind, moving through the house at an unstoppable speed and leaving them dizzy. _

_ "Is he your boyfriend?" Bethany asked with a suspicious amount of curiosity, and Alex was all too happy to deny any romantic involvement between the two of them at all. _

_ "Only in the realm of the insane."_

_ "You just don't know how much you want me around yet!" came a voice from over the redhead's shoulder, and she spun around to find Anders happily back into the room. He hugged her so tightly that she couldn't breathe, and she made several futile attempts to shove him off before realizing that there was no escaping the bear hug. Carver looked vaguely horrified, Bethany looked jealous, Malcolm looked pleased, and her mother, Leandra, merely looked expressionless. _

_ Anders had dragged Alex up the stairs and stopped in front of a chipped white door with the word "Alex" across the top in what looked like red and black Sharpie. His hand was looped around her thin wrist while they stood there. Hawke sent a questioning look to him; if he kept going on about doors, she was going to lock him in the cupboard with his cat. _

_ "Is this your room?" Anders seemed fascinated by the concept. _

_ "Well, yes, but it's more a formality. Usually I spend my nights running through the streets howling about ravenous yogurt and foaming at the mouth," Hawke replied, running a hand over the door. Without invitation, nor warning, he opened the door and stepped in, then seized the Sharpie off her night table. _

_ "I want to be on Hawke's door too!" shouted Anders, and Hawke smiled just a little as she gave a weary wave of consent. He was horrid to put up with, but he was kinda cute. Like that toddler that you can't drop-kick because it's your own kid, but they have moments where you think they're adorable. "'Kay, A-N-D-E-R-S," he read out the letters as he scrawled on the door in illegible chicken scratch. It covered from lower hinge to opposite upper corner and had a bunch of kitties around it by the time he finished, and Hawke sighed. _

_ "It's very pretty, Blondie."_

_ "Not as pretty as you," Anders said lightly, skipping around her and down the hall, singing some song she'd never heard. It was about cats, so she assumed he was making it up as he went along. She sighed and let him do as she liked while she got ready for bed, the moon reflecting of Anders' fresh lettering on her door. She would never let him know, but it made her smile, just a tad. _

_ Alex had just slid into bed and shut off the lamp not even an hour ago when a knock sounded on her door, and she turned over sleepily. She heard the knock again more insistently, and she wearily made her way the source of the disturbance, only to find Anders standing there. She was about to shut the door in his face when he slid in, quick as an eel. _

_ "I couldn't sleep alone. It was scary. I'm going to sleep with you, 'kay?" Alex looked at him in exhaustion before gesturing to the bed, still half asleep._

_ "Save me the trouble and just climb in next time," she wriggled back under the covers, and Anders joined her happily. That was the first night they spent together, and he had taken advantage of that sleepy promise from his friend in all years since._

"So you see, I did nothing wrong," Anders finished as he recalled her 'save me the trouble' offer. She glared at him for a moment, still distinctly displeased.

"I said that when I was half-asleep!"

"But you were only _half _asleep, Strawberry dear. I'm going to go get from Fruit Loops now, 'kay? Kay." She followed him downstairs along with their new company, and Isabela seemed relieved to hear that Alex had not yet given in. That morning was eventful, to say the least. Anders had stolen Fenris' Fruit Loops out from under him, Isabela was trying to explain to Merrill why it was bad that Alex and Anders were in the same bed, and Sebastian was either praying or dying, Alex really wasn't sure.

"You know," she spoke loudly enough that it broke through all the commotion, "If you all are going to eat all my food, you have to help shop for it too. C'mon, everybody get ready, we're going to the grocery store."

~OoOoO~

"I've never been to a grocery store before. Is it nice?" asked Merrill airily as they approached the store, having walked the short distance on a rare, sunny day. Anders gave a conspiratorial look to Isabela while Fenris muttered to himself, looking up at the store suspiciously.

"Fenris, it's a store, it's not plotting against us. Chill," Hawke patted his shoulder as she went by and grabbed a buggy. Fenris and Merrill both held onto the caps that they were forced to wear as the wind blew. The broody boy had resented it, but people might wonder about the pointy ears.

Isabela and Merrill had found the fruit section, and in hindsight, Alex realized that setting a bunch of wizards loose in a muggle grocery store _was not _a good idea. The petite brunette had picked up a dragon-fruit and studied it with her large, green eyes. She seemed confused, and Hawke walked over to see why she was so fascinated by the fruit.

"What's this?" Merrill asked, holding up the dragon-fruit for Hawke to see. Hawke sighed, putting a hand to her forehead.

"That's a dragon-fruit, Merrill," she sighed, and the elven girl looked even more confused.

"It doesn't much resemble a dragon, does it?" At this comment Hawke was highly inclined to beat her head against the wall, but her friends were keeping her on her toes. At least she had managed to speed-shop most of her grocery list already. Isabela was playing with the bananas, and Hawke shook her head at the gypsy.

"Gypsy, put the bananas down."

"Aw, Alex, you're no fun! Besides, you have no right to be talking about bananas, miss-I-have-two-incredibly-attractive-boys-sleeping-in-my-house. Honestly," Isabela said, paying no mind that entire grocery store had just heard her comment. Hawke could see her neighbors begin to whisper and quickly slipped away with Isabela and Merrill in tow.

Next they found Sebastian, sitting in the corner, preaching about Maker. Alex grabbed his ear and hauled him away, her red hair frizzing a little from the stress. He was still ranting as she pulled him down the aisles, suddenly frightened of what Fenris and Anders might be up to. Fenris was in the frozen food section, prattling to some of the ground beef. People seemed to have a certain lack of need for ground beef at the immediate moment, as a matter of fact. She pulled him up and added him to the group, much to his dismay, and they were now just hunting for Anders. Finally they found Anders, and Alex gaped in horror. He had arranged the cans on the rack, _somehow_, into a heart shape and was singing. Loudly singing.

"Alex, my darling, Alex I do! Alex, how I'd love to marry you!

I love you like kittens, warm like mittens!

Oh, Alex is like strawberries! Alex, c'mon let's be married!"

His horrendous song ended, and Alex could feel her cheeks burning as she hauled him down and forced him to take the enchantment off the cans. They rearranged themselves normally again, and Anders gave Alex a silly grin, which she ignored. Crossing her arms, she dragged them to the checkout and got out of there as fast as she could. Next item on the list of things that should never be done: Take her friends to a grocery store.

~OoOoO~

"I did have a point in gathering everyone at your house today," Isabela said as she sprawled lazily in a living room chair. They all looked at her curiously; the gypsy was always full of surprises. "I have to go back to Romania for my birthday, and you all are coming with me. _All _of you," she said pointedly, looking at Fenris, who had been trying to slink away. He groaned and sat down again on the floor, and Alex patted his head comfortingly, which only made him more irritated.

"Watch yourself, Gypsy," Fenris muttered, then began to brood quietly again. Anders seemed delighted and threw his arms around Alex, and she squirmed in annoyance.

"Anders, get off me or so help me—"

"We're going on a trip, Alex! Aren't you excited! I've never been out of England! This is brilliant!" Anders couldn't seem to even express how excited he was through words, so he picked her up and began spinning madly with her. She couldn't hold back a giggle as he dipped her, but she quickly blushed and remembered that she was supposed to be mad at him.

"Hmph. I'm sure it won't be _too _bad, even though I'll be stuck ether with you," she snapped, but Anders knew that she wasn't really mad. She knew that he knew too, and they met eyes with a silent sort of truce for the moment. Maybe they would even have fun in Romania, who knows? Isabela and Merrill grinned at each other; they knew that Alex's resolve was slipping again.

~OoOoO~

Romania was beautiful. The floo trip had been a quick and easy one, and Alex grinned with a little excitement as Anders carried her bags for her. Her heart was pounding in the rhythm of the city as she walked with Isabela and the others to the place the gypsy knew as home. Every sound that should be dissonant, the music with the sounds of the city and shouts of children, made an unlikely harmony. Anders was ecstatic too, as he watched the street performers and grabbed Alex's hand when one performed an impossible feat or another.

"Mama!" Isabela cried, throwing herself at a woman who merely looked like an aged version of their gypsy. "_Acestea sunt__prietenii mei_: Alex, Anders, Fenris, Merrill, _şi_ Sebastian." She introduced them, and Hawke gave her patented smirk.

"Um, pretty language, but could we try, I don't know, English?"

"Am sorry! Forgive my English, not so good. Isabela tell me much about her friends, how funny all you are," her mother laughed and welcomed them into the community, and Isabela proceeded to explain that it would be a party involving _much _dancing. And with that, Alex was dragged off with the girls and the boys were taken away separately to be readied for the party that night.

~OoOoO~

Alex studied her reflection in the mirror, not sure if it was really her that she was seeing. All the girls had been lent clothing for the dance that night, but right as they were about to give some common clothes to Hawke, Isabela had exclaimed something at them in Romanian, and here she stood. The embroidered skirt was a rich, earthy color that complimented her dark eyes and bright hair, the off white blouse showing her figure to her advantage. A matching rose had been tucked into her hair, which hung loosely around her fair shoulders, exposed by the borrowed shirt.

Hawke stepped out of the tent as the party started, the candlelight helping to add to the exotic glow she had been given. There was music coming from a lively band, playing some sort of upbeat tune. Anders had been talking with Sebastian and looked up the moment she stepped out, and found himself speechless. She looked like the sun itself, red lips curved into a half smile. Their eyes met and time seemed to freeze a moment, and suddenly she felt self-conscious.

Anders couldn't hold back a smile as he made his way across the party to see her; she drew him like a magnet. Then again, that was nothing new. She had always that pulling quality, changing the monotone of his life and making it suddenly all the more worthwhile. Finally he reached her, and found he still had nothing to say. She gave a coy grin and took the drink Isabela and Merrill encouraged her to drink while Anders had one himself. It would have been a lot better for Alex if the two plotting girls _hadn't _spiked her drink, but what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her. Soon they were talking, and the gypsy and Merrill slyly kept refilling her drink a good four times by the time the best song came on.

"Alex, would you dance with me?" Anders asked, eyes trained on her. To his surprise, she smiled and took his hand, and allowed him to lead her out into the dancing area.

"It would be my pleasure," she accepted with a pretty twirl, and Anders almost couldn't believe that this was real. She smelled strongly like strawberries again today, and he could only imagine that Isabela had encouraged her to wear the perfume. However, of all the things he would have thought would happen that night, he couldn't believe that there was now no space between them as their feet moved in sync and their hearts beat together. The pulse of the dance moved them as one, and soon they were face to face as he dipped her low and pulled her up again in a bout of surprisingly skilled dancing. She then did the unexpected, and the facial expressions on all the visiting students were indescribable. Alex pressed her lips to his, and Anders was so shocked that he froze in his dancing. After his initial shock, however, he allowed himself to meld to her, and his hands tangled in her hair as they slipped away from the party.

They were behind one of the tents now, faces flushes and lips attached. He couldn't seem to get close enough to her, hands fisted in the back of her blouse. Alex's hands ran through his blond locks, pulling out his small ponytail so that it fell around his face. They moved down to touch his abs as she had wanted to do since the night he had messed with her in her room.

Anders gasped as she broke off the kiss and fell, exhausted, against him. He beamed sweetly and carried her to her tent, laying her down on the pallet that Isabela's mom had set out for her. He slipped off her shoes and pulled the flower out of her hair before kissing her goodnight, and she fell asleep with a faint smile on her lips, now even redder.

~OoOoO~

"Married! Can you believe it?" Isabela's voice drifted into the tent as Alex sat up and grasped her aching head. She stumbled out back and was sick, and knew instantly what was going on. This was a hangover worse than when they had played Firewhiskey-pong in the Gryffindor commons with a Snitch. Isabela had been giving her drinks… Alex lurched up and made her way around the tent, where Anders and Isabela were talking animatedly.

"That's insane. Marriage means monogamy, which means no sleeping around, which defies my entire moral code," Anders sounded alarmed and distressed, and Alex almost laughed. Almost, but mostly she was pissed off and her head felt like it was being smashed in by sledgehammers. She saw Isabela nodding, dark hair standing out in every which direction after her party the night before.

"I know! My parents have never been this cruel, forcing me to marry! I told her it was useless, that a relationship or two a day was long enough for me. Your outlook would be different if it concerned Alex, though. You would marry _her _on the spot."

"Maybe so, but that would involve her actually realizing that she was in love with me."

"Want to shack up? Might make you feel better," Isabela suggested half-heartedly, but Anders shook his head.

"No repeat offenders, love, it's part of the code." Gypsy laughed while Anders grinned and Alex finally made her way around the tent.

"You! You drink-spiking, deceitful, conspiratorial gypsy!" Alex marched up to Isabela, ignoring her pounding head. "My head feels like it's been through a food processor, I keep vomiting _gray _puke, and I can't remember anything form last night! _ANYTHING!" _Isabela fidgeted slightly, and Anders looked at her in confusion.

"Drink…spiking? _ISABELA MARIA ROMANY YOU EXPLAIN YOURSELF RIGHT NOW!" _Anders was red in the face, and Hawke grew _very _suspicious all of a sudden. Usually, he would find that sort of thing hilarious.

"Just what _happened _last night?" Alex turned to Anders now, afraid of what she might have done. Anders didn't seem to hear her, however, and continued raging against the sheepish Isabela.

"I thought she might have finally kissed me of her own free will! This isn't even funny, Gypsy." Anders crossed his arms and pouted, and Alex groaned in pain from the loud noises that were reverberating in her head. Hangover: not so nice. Kissing Anders: she was going to kill the gypsy.

"I… did _what _now?" Anders cleared his throat and slid away to his tent, suddenly very occupied. Isabela quietly stepped off, and Alex sank to the ground, feeling nauseated once more. Though, she couldn't be sure whether that was from the hangover or from the news of the… well, she couldn't even think of it. _Why did she kiss him?_

~OoOoO~

Anders was furious. No, that wasn't the word for it. He was crushed. He thought that she might have finally wanted him, finally did realize that he cared about her. Karl may have been his long-time boyfriend, but in truth, he was just a distraction. All of it was a distraction, all the flirting, all the laughter and jokes. She was the only thing that really kept him sane, really made him… want to run away from it all. A soft call sounded from the tent flap; he knew that voice.

"Alex? Alex, is that you?" Anders practically ran to the front of the tent, russet eyes anxious. Maybe she could still forgive him, maybe there was still a chance.

"Can I come in?" Alex sounded apprehensive, for once. He opened the flap and looked away, not able to meet her eyes. "Anders? Anders, I don't… I don't blame you. It was my fault, for not realizing what was going on sooner, for not… Anders?" She shook his shoulders in alarm at his unresponsiveness, and he slumped down.

"God, I was a fool. I was such an idiot," Anders sighed, putting his hands on either side of his head, but shot a smile up at Alex all the same. "I guess I should be happier, huh? I don't know, I just feel like I should have known that you were… That they had…" Anders seemed lost for words, strangely enough. The redhead took a breath and sat down next to him, patiently waiting for him to calm down.

"_I _didn't even know. You can't get much more idiotic than that. I'm sorry that all this happened; I don't know why it happened, but it did. And now there's no taking it back. But Anders?" He looked up at her, eyes nervous. "You _have _to tell me what I did. Please, as my friend, I need you to tell me exactly what happened last night." Anders took a deep breath, knowing full well that she wouldn't like what she heard.

"Well, it started like I said, where I asked you to dance and you said yes. We danced for a long time, and eventually, you… kissed me. Everybody sort of- well, not sort of, they did- saw it happen, too. That's how it started, and then there was… well, behind a tent. And it was kissing. And it was the kind where I didn't have a shirt on. And then you fell asleep. And that was that." Anders fidgeted.

"_I MADE OUT WITH YOU BEHIND A TENT?" _Alex turned even redder than her hair and buried her face in his shoulder. He could feel her blush through his shirt, and he patted her head gently.

"There, there, at least you fell asleep before anything we might regret happened."

"You would regret it?" Alex looked up at him, shocked.

"I would regret taking advantage of you in that state. The only way I want to be with you is with you loving me too. I would regret doing something that you would not have consented to when you weren't intoxicated," Anders explained, and for a moment, their eyes locked. The tent flap swung open, and Alex scrambled off Anders, realizing what it looked like. Merrill looked between the two of them, mossy eyes wide.

"Oh, my, I came to tell you two to pack your things. I'm sorry, did I interrupt something? Oh, bother, I'm always doing these things! Well, go back to gazing into each others' eyes, I'll pack for you," she slid out before Alex could protest, and whined in pain as her head throbbed again.

"Right, hangover. Here's a tip: One hot shower, one cold one, then repeat as necessary."

"Why so many showers?" Strawberry regarded him suspiciously, charcoal eyes narrowed at their target. Anders shrugged and lay back, cool as a cucumber.

"Just trust me, Strawberry."

"I don't like this idea of so many showers with you around, Anders."

"Don't worry! I'll only look once!"

"ANDERS!" Alex smacked him across the shoulder, and he grinned saccharinely.

"Just kidding, just kidding. Though, it wouldn't be anything I hadn't seen—"

"ANDERS?"

"-With that pajama outfit of yours. It's... sheer."

"Dammit Anders!"

"Love you too, strawberry. By the way, a little hair of the dog that bit you and Tylenol make good supplements to said shower remedy. I'm going to go attack Fenris now! 'Kay, bye!" Anders sprung up and skipped off, and his friend stared after him in bewilderment. Sometimes he was just so happy that it was… unnatural. Her mind jumped back to the memory of the scars on his back, and she shook it away, suddenly wanting those showers.


End file.
